Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
  • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
  • B60R19/48—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
  • B60R19/483—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R16/00—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for
  • B60R16/02—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
  • G02B7/007—Pressure-resistant sight glasses
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W30/00—Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
  • B60W30/14—Adaptive cruise control
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
  • G01D5/26—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable characterised by optical transfer means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
  • G01S17/88—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S17/93—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S17/931—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2420/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of sensors based on the principle of their operation
  • B60W2420/40—Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
  • B60Y2400/00—Special features of vehicle units
  • B60Y2400/30—Sensors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B1/00—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
  • G02B1/02—Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors

Definitions

• Vehicles such as autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, may rely on sensing systems as part of a control system or otherwise to help the vehicles interact with a surrounding environment.
• the sensing systems may be optically based, such as utilizing laser light or other light sensors.
• Such systems tend to be protected by tough plastic covers and located on or near the top of vehicles to position the sensing system away from the path of debris, such as loose gravel, vegetation, etc.
• plastic covers may tend to become sun damaged and/or scratch and become substantially obstructed, distorting the optical signals communicated and/or received by the sensing system.
• glass may serve as a better cover material, overcoming at least some of such problems, however Applicants believe that conventional glass cover materials may be susceptible to fracturing upon impact from debris. A need exists to overcome some or all of these challenges.
• a sensing system for a vehicle such as an autonomous or semi-autonomous automobile, includes a glass material that protects internal componentry of the sensing system.
• the internal componentry includes optics and the glass material facilitates communication of light to and/or from the componentry.
• the glass material is particularly strong, scratch resistant, corrosion resistant, impact resistant, and transparent in wavelengths (e.g., infrared) at which the optics of the componentry operate.
• Use of a glass material in a location of higher risk for debris and resulting damage may be particularly surprising to those of skill in the art, however because of the mechanical properties of the glass material, the sensing system may be positioned on or near an underside of the vehicle, facilitating more reliable sensing of underlying surfaces.
• FIG. 1 is side view of a vehicle with a sensing system according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram in cross-section of a sensing system of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram in cross-section of a glass material of the sensing system of FIG. 2 according to an exemplary embodiment.
• a vehicle 1 10 e.g., car, truck, boat, plane, trailer
• a body 1 12 of the vehicle e.g., housing, hull
• the body 112 may be formed from metal, such as aluminum or steel, alloys thereof, with coatings, paint, etc., and the body 1 12 may be supported by a structural frame and may overlay a chassis of the vehicle 110, such as with vehicles that are automobile (e.g., cars, trucks, vans, tractor or semi-trailers).
• the vehicle further includes a sensing system 1 14 coupled to (e.g., fastened to, physically attached directly or indirectly to such as via the frame, rigidly attached to) the body 1 12 of the vehicle 1 10.
• the sensing system 1 14 includes optical componentry, such as reflectors 1 16, a beam splitter 118, and optical sensors 120, for example.
• the sensing system 1 14 further includes a glass material 122, where the glass material 122 at least in part houses the optical componentry, such as by forming a wall or a window surrounding or adjoining the optical componentry. In operation, light may pass through the glass material 122 to and/or from the optical componentry of the sensing system 1 14.
• the sensing system 114 is an optical surveying system, such as a so-called light detection and ranging system.
• the glass material 122 is at least partially transparent to light at a wavelength of the optical componentry. Further, the glass material 122 may also be adjoined or coated by layers of material that improve performance of the sensing system 1 14. In some embodiments, the glass material 122 is coated with an antireflective coating 124, 126, such as to increase an angle of acceptance for light to be received by the sensing system 1 14.
• the antireflective coating 124 may be located on an inside surface, facing the optical componentry of the sensing system 1 14, and/or the antireflective coating 126 may be located on an outside surface of the glass material 122, facing away from the optical componentry.
• the glass material 1 12 may be coated with a plurality of layers, as shown in FIG. 3, such as a protective coating 128 (e.g., anti-scratch, anti-corrosive, UV resistant), overlaying the antireflective coating 126, overlaying the glass material 122.
• a protective coating 128 e.g., anti-scratch, anti-corrosive, UV resistant
• overlaying the antireflective coating 126 overlaying the glass material 122.
• the optical componentry receives and senses light at a wavelength ⁇ (e.g., dashed arrows of FIG.
• the coatings and/or the glass material facilitate the interaction by allowing transmission of light therethrough at the wavelength, such as at least 30% transmission at one or more wavelengths between 10 nm and 1 cm, such as at least 40%, such as at least 50%, such as at one or more wavelengths between 300 nm and 1000 nm.
• the wavelength ⁇ is or is about 905 nm, 1550 nm, or other wavelengths.
• the coatings block UV and/or visible light (e.g., wavelengths less than about 730 nm).
• the body 112 of the vehicle has a height HI, defined as a greatest vertical distance between structure (e.g., roof, top) of the vehicle 110 and an underlying flat surface (e.g., roadway) when the vehicle is in a operational orientation, meaning where the vehicle is intended to be operated, such as with wheels on the ground for a car, not turned upside down or stacked on an end for example.
• HI a height defined as a greatest vertical distance between structure (e.g., roof, top) of the vehicle 110 and an underlying flat surface (e.g., roadway) when the vehicle is in a operational orientation, meaning where the vehicle is intended to be operated, such as with wheels on the ground for a car, not turned upside down or stacked on an end for example.
• the glass material 122 includes (e.g., is, is mostly, is at least 80% by weight) a silicate, such as an alkali-aluminosilicate glass.
• the glass material is an amorphous glass.
• the glass material may be strengthened, such as by ion-exchange, thermal tempering, and/or laminating and cooling a sandwich of glasses so that an interior layer of glass is in tension and exterior layers are in compression.
• the glass material 122 has a strength profile (see generally shading in FIG.
• the glass material 122 is a contiguous sheet, but composition of the glass material 122 is a function of depth into the thickness T, such as due to increase in certain ions (e.g. potassium, lithium, sodium) near a surface of the glass material 122, such as where the middle of the thickness T has a composition that physically divides and compositionally differs from that of regions adjoining the middle, on either side thereof.
• the glass material is a glass-ceramic, such as having crystals formed therein to increase toughness.
• the glass- ceramic may be strengthened, such as by one or more of the above treatments.
• the glass material is a sheet (e.g., curved sheet, flat sheet), having a thickness T.
• the glass material 122 is thick, such as where the thickness T is at least 1 mm, whereby thermal tempering and/or ion- exchange may be used to provide a particularly high compressive stress and/or depth of layer for the compressive stress into the glass material 122.
• the thickness T is no more than 1 cm, such as no more than 5 mm, such as no more than 4 mm, whereby the glass material provides transparency for the optical componentry and is relatively lightweight.
• the mechanical properties of the glass material are such that the glass material 122 of the sensing system 1 14 is positioned at a height H2 (FIG. 1), defined as a lowest or least vertical distance between the glass material 122 and an underlying flat surface when the vehicle 110 is in a operational orientation, where height H2 is less than 70% of height HI , such as where the sensing system 1 14 is below the roof or top of the vehicle.
• the height H2 is less than 50% of height HI , surprisingly close to the road or other underlying surface for glass material of a sensing system.
• the vehicle is an automobile, such as a car, van, truck, trailer, and the body of the vehicle includes bumpers 130, such as front bumper and/or a rear bumper made from steel or another tough material to absorb shock of a collision. Accordingly, bumpers are particular strong and are made to handle impacts from debris etc.
• the glass material 122 is so strong and tough that the glass material 122 of the sensing system 114 is coupled to the body within 1 m of the bumper 130, such as within 50 cm, such as within 10 cm, such as adjoining. In some embodiments, at least part of the glass material 122 of the sensing system 1 14 extends vertically below the bumper 130.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Optical Radar Systems And Details Thereof (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Related Child Applications (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=65723092

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2018
  • 2018-09-13 WO PCT/US2018/050863 patent/WO2019055643A1/en unknown
  • 2018-09-13 CN CN201880059709.5A patent/CN111278683B/zh active Active
  • 2018-09-13 EP EP18855867.0A patent/EP3681764A4/en active Pending
  • 2018-09-13 KR KR1020207010247A patent/KR20200042541A/ko unknown
  • 2018-09-13 CN CN202310532232.0A patent/CN116576892A/zh active Pending
  • 2018-09-13 JP JP2020514668A patent/JP2020534516A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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